Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Scott Nova, executive director of the Workers Rights Consortium, which monitors worker conditions in factories overseas, said that it is unlikely that Foxconn could have solved its institutional problems in so short a time.

“The FLA’s position, as we understand it, is that it’s fine for Foxconn to continue violating overtime labor laws if they promise to clean it up by some time next year,” Nova told ReadWriteWeb. “And we don’t think that’s reasonable. Apple and Foxconn should obey the law, now.”

Nova also said that the reforms proposed by the FLA omit “the long track record of harsh, psychologically abusive management practices at the factories. There are no meaningful recommendations in that regard, and very likely no progress.” Nova also said he also doubted that allowing the workers the freedom to associate, form worker groups or unions and collectively bargain would occur in any meaningful sense.

“It’s hard not to be skeptical of a report that says that Foxconn has hit every single one of its commitments and done so ahead of schedule,” Nova said. “That is a radical departure of a decade-long track record at Foxconn.”